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Do you want to save yourself, Savage!
(Veux-tu te sauver, Sauvage!)
(1841)
from the Le carnaval á Paris (the Paris Carnival) series, first published in La Caricature, 1841
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1930
- Gallery location
- 18th Century Decorative Arts & Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
While masked balls were initially an elite affair, by the 1830s they were attracting revellers from all walks of life. From midnight to dawn, social hierarchies vanished in the whirlwind of costumes and dances. A carnival costume could disguise anyone, from a cobbler to a wealthy dandy, and many young women hoped to make a fortunate acquaintance. Indeed, one contemporary journalist overheard a woman tell a man who claimed to be a broker, ‘For us, a masked ball is our stock exchange.’
Artwork Details
printed in ink (in image) l.r.: Par Gavarni
printed in ink u.r.: 17.
printed in ink l.c.: Veux-tu te sauver, Sauvage!
printed in ink l.r.: Imp. d'Aubert & Cie
Felton Bequest, 1930
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of the Joe White Bequest
Level 2, NGV International